setgen's Blog

It is Spring and sports have started up again and people are becoming more active.  This is the season for sports injuries.   This is a post to help reduce these problems.  Stretching is done wrong all the time creating a higher risk of injury.  There are 3 parts to stretching safely and properly.  The first step is to warm-up the muscles, tendons & ligaments so they can be stretched correctly.  Some people call this warming up and others call it dynamic stretching.  To do this correctly you must slowly and gently begin moving in the same manner as your sport.  Example: For the sport of running start by doing a few lunges & walking with long strides.   The next step is to stretch in a static manner.  A static stretch is correctly done by stretching to a point of tension and holding that position for a count of 15 to 25.  You must hold the count for no less then 15 seconds to gain any benefit.  After this step it is safe to start your sport slowly and allow your body to fully warm up.  The most normal mistake is made after your game, practice, etc. is over.  When you are done with your sport you must cool down (ie: continue playing at a slower pace until your heart rate drops and you are no longer winded) then do another round of static stretching as listed above.  Remember play hard, but play safe.

Craig

Today (04/10/2007) I was watching the Good Day LA show and noticed that one of the news stories was about an attacker that is at large.  The point of my blog today is the under lying story.  In the report the lady that was attacked was punched in the face and she fought back causing the attacker to flee.  This is such a major subject as a lot of people do not understand that the largest number of attacks, rapes & abductions can be stopped!  It is a fact that most of the crimes like these can be stopped by standing your ground and making a seen.  The rule of thumb is most attacks happen fast and with very little sound as not to draw attention.  The next rule is a large number of suspects are not cought and in the case of abductions (either youth or adult) most are not found safely.  So looking at these two rules it is easy to understand the first and most important reason to fight back.  Next I want to make very clear that a basic understanding of safety is good but it is not enough by its self.  I would like to encourage all ladies & youth to locate a self defense clinic or seminar taught by a respected expert in the field of Anti-Abduction & Self-defense.  You should do this atleast twice a year  just to refresh your view of things and physically remember techniques that can save your life.  Some of these programs are free and some cost (you can get the same information and training at both) but for the most part they all have something to offer.  The last note I would like to make on this subject is that taking Martial Arts or "self defense" system will not give you the tools you need until you have been training in those systems for some time, that is why you should focus first on a clinic or seminar. 

Please feel free to post comments or ask questions as I will do my best to answer them within the guides lines of the FOX Blogging rules.

Craig